ACT

A good ACT score depends on the college/university that you're applying to. However, an ACT score between 28-36 is generally considered good and is accepted by most of the top-tier institutions.   

No, ACT does not refund the exam fee as the fee is generally non-refundable. The ACT exam fee for Indian and all other non-US students is USD 186.50 in 2025 (including only English, Reading and Maths sections). 

Yes, a calculator can be used, but only while attempting the Maths section of the ACT test. The use of calculators is not allowed during the attempt of other sections like English and Reading. 

Yes, Maths is compulsary for the ACT exam as it is one of the three core subjects. The new ACT exam format in 2025 contains Maths, English and Reading sections as the core subjects. The Maths section will now consist of 45 questions which need to be completely in 50 min by the students. 

The ACT test is conducted at various locations in the major cities of India. Some of these cities are Ahmedabad, New Delhi, Pune, Noida, Jaipur, Kodaikanal, Vadodara, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai. Indian students willing to take the ACT exam to study abroad in the USA or other eligible locations can find complete details about test centres by logging into their My ACT accounts.  

Students applying to Stanford from Fall 2026 and future years, an ACT / SAT score is required from Indian applicants. As such, no minimum test scores have been mentioned by Stanford. However, the applicants must aim to get the following scores in these standardized test scores:

• SAT: 1510-1570
• ACT: 34-35

No, students are not required to submit SAT/ACT scores for undergraduate programs. Student's application will not be affected with or without SAT/ACT scores. It will be evaluated based on their grades, academic awards, essays and the rest portfolio.

Purdue University expects students to submit SAT or ACT scores. In 2024, 76.3% of applicants submitted a test score. Those who received an admission offer around 93% provided a test score. Purdue University acceptance rate for Fall 2024 is reported to be around 50%. This means that university is selective at the time of admission. So students with exceptional academic background have a higher chance of admission. Additionally, applicants must fulfill the basic entry requirements such as having a UG degree for admission to PG courses. On the other hand for UG courses, applicants should have passed Class 12.

Guessing the answers on the ACT exam is not encouraged or recommended by the testing authorities as this is not an effective approach. However, you can make educated guesses if required; here's how:

1. Read your question thoroughly and skim through the passage.
2. Eliminate the wrong answer choices first based on your quick analysis of the paragraph and question. 
3. Prioritise answering the line-based questions first as they provide opportunities to be direct on your answering approach without taking much of your time.
4. Choose the answer that is most supported by the passage. 

The Reading section of the ACT exam can be perceived as difficult by many test takers in the exam. This my be due to the fast-pace nature of the section and the need to grasp large information quickly. Performing well on the Reading section of the ACT test requires good comprehension and the ability to analyse the given text efficiently and quickly.